Arizona silver belt., 1887-05-07
THE yIRGrssA srars nEnr.

The question of tho payment of the
 bonded debt of the State of Virginia,
 created previous to 1861, is assuming
 3 phase not hitherto calculated upon.
 England, largely interested in tho
 payment of the debt, or that part of
 it in the hands of British subjects, has
 approved action m the premises by
 instruction of Prime Minister Saulis.
 bury, who, it is said, sanctioned the
 Rpp0iAtnent of Sir Edward Thornton
 10 represent the British boRdholders
 aaa insist upon settlement of the debt,
 The embarrassment of the State of
 Virginia has arisen through Federal
 agency by the segregation of the State,
 without making equitable division of
 She state debt Notwithstanding tue
 provision of the Federal constitution
 that no new State shah be formed
 within tae jurisdiction of any other
 State, without the consent of the leg
 SsiaturS of the State, as well as of
 Congress, on the 1Ith of June, 1861,
 a convention composed of delegates
 from the western part of the State as-
 ssmbled at Wheeling and declared the
 State offices vacant and proceeded to
 ill tazsm and form State organiza-
 tion of which Francis H. Pierpoint
 Was declared the executive head. The
 Pisrpoiut government as termed,
 adopted an ordinance, on the 20th of August, 1861, providing for the for, snation of a new State Ont of portion
 of the territory of Virginia, which or
 dinance was approved by Q vote of the people of that section of Virginia, comprising an area of 24,645 square snifss, or about sRe-third of the entire State, Consequently "West Virginia" ! was never a State under the constitu- tisn, and so declared by Chief Justice Fancy upon an appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States, from so. called West Virginia court
 Thaddeus Stevens said, on the Roor ofGoBgross, when West Virginia 'sp recognition WAS asked for as State, that he dld not deslre to be under stood as "sharng the delusion that we ars admitting West Virginia in pur- suance of any provision of the cons6. tRtion." He could find no provis. ron Sas6fyiag <, and the argument favoring it originated with those who either honestly entertain an srrouious opinion, or who desire to justify by forced construction an act which they have predetermined to do.n He nam tained that it was "but mockery to say that the legislature of Virginia has ever consented to the division. Only 100000 out of 1,259,0OO have participated in the proceedings" He contsnded that ''ths State of Virginia has regular organization and by a large majority of the people it has changed its relaeieas 10 tAs Federal government" Re knew that this was trs&son in the individuals who partic- lpated in it, but so far as the State was concerned it was a valid act. Our government, he argued, "does not act { upon State" Thus 1t was that yir- Zinia was crippled in her finances by the division of the State, without the debt upon the diminished | tsrritory, which then consisted Of 149 { counties, reducing it ons-third. i
 Sir Edward Thornton had better ] idt be too exaoting in his demands for { of claims of British bond Z holders, lest the Erginians refuse the c bread, and offer him itone. EnglishmeR have never ac- T ,sptsd the Rsadiusters' scaling of the iebt from 60 to 65 per cent. They a till claim the face of the bonds, but ' ITO willing to omit the interest. It ig S :laimed that repudiationists are stron- . ger now than heretofore, and all that 2 3 wantingls Q pretsxt to repudiate b he debt. U